Controversy Over Baton Rouge Plan for Further Criminalization of Sex Workers

Baton Rouge-area politicians recently released a plan to increase jail time and other penalties for accused sex workers, including a 90-day minimum sentence. Louisiana is already the only US state that forces sex workers to register as sex offenders, and this call for increased criminalization has raised alarms among advocates. Below is a response from the ACLU of Louisiana:

Dear Mayor-President Holden and Members of the East Baton Rouge Metropolitan Council:

I understand that a committee of the Metropolitan Council is urging a crackdown on prostitution in East Baton Rouge Parish. According to the Advocate, an ordinance has been proposed to impose a mandatory sentence of a minimum of 90 days in jail or supervised probation, as well as "john school" for customers.

I write to urge the Council to exercise great care in enacting laws that will penalize poor women in ways that might ultimately harm the community. Sending nonviolent offenders to jail is widely recognized as the wrong approach to criminal justice, and one that will not only increase costs for the people of Baton Rouge but also ultimately increase crime. Seeking to change Louisiana's status as the largest per capita jailer in the world, Gov. Jindal recently requested the Pew Center for Study on the States to assist in enacting reforms that will decrease the incarceration rate while maintaining public safety. Careful study is necessary before adopting any laws that will further incarcerate or punish anyone for whom alternatives are available.

The Advocate suggests that one stated purpose of the proposed ordinance is to eliminate human trafficking. However, the ordinance will do nothing to stop trafficking, because the traffickers themselves are not affected. This is a classic case of punishing the victim, by imposing punishment only on the woman who has been trafficked. In fact, criminalizing prostitution can hurt victims of trafficking by steering them away from the police when they need help. Fear of arrest can send a victim of violence further away from support services that can help her. Trafficking, and forcing juveniles into "modern day slavery," is already a crime, subject to state and federal laws. This proposal will do nothing to stop any trafficking that might occur and can hurt those victimized.

The article also states that the proposal includes adoption of "john schools" to teach customers about the "destructive impact of prostitution." Yet studies have shown that "john schools" and programs to reduce demand for prostitution frequently target low-income and minority men, and are not successful in protecting women or in eliminating prostitution. The Best Practices Policy Project reports, among other things, a higher than average recidivism rate among men who have been subject to "john schools." Moreover, these programs may increase violence against women, and therefore cause more harm.

Nor will this stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. A jail sentence will do nothing to protect a prostitute from contracting HIV from a client, or vice versa. The solution to the HIV/AIDS epidemic is better treatment, education, and condom use, not incarceration for those living with the disease.

I urge the Council to consider this issue carefully, to consult best practices and experts nationwide on the both the criminal justice and the public health implications of incarcerating sex workers and their customers, and to be mindful of the dangers of incarcerating more people for nonviolent offenses.

Sincerely,
Marjorie R. Esman
Executive Director
ACLU of Louisiana

New Funding for HIV Prevention in New Orleans

From our friends at the Institute of Women & Ethnic Studies (IWES) and Brotherhood, Incorporated:

Please join IWES and Brotherhood at our Press Conference as we announce three million dollars for minority-focused HIV prevention in New Orleans!
CDC has awarded over $3 Million to the Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies(IWES) and Brotherhood, Inc, two minority-focused Community-Based Organizations, to Support HIV Prevention Efforts in the New Orleans Metro Area Over the Next Five Years

The Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies (IWES) and Brotherhood, Inc, are holding a press conference to announce the award of over $3 Million over five years from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to provide services to at-risk communities. The two CBOs are located in Mid-City at Carrollton and Canal, bringing significant economic and social impact to this area and to the City of New Orleans.

Brotherhood and IWES, collaborative partners, are funded to provide an array of culturally proficient, HIV prevention and risk reduction services. Brotherhood provides anonymous & confidential rapid HIV testing services, small group sessions to same gender loving men of color and Transgender women, and comprehensive risk counseling services. IWES provides HIV prevention education to youth of color ages 12-18, through programs that include media development, peer education, risk reduction, referral for HIV testing, and community engagement. Brotherhood and IWES plan to make over 5,000 contacts each year through outreach activities.

LJI Guest Columnist: New Orleans Youth Advocates Host Talent Show to Stop Alarming Rise of HIV/AIDS Among Teens, by Iman Shervington

As New Orleans ranks fifth in the nation among AIDS case rates and 50 percent of the new HIV infections occur among youth under 25 years old, New Orleans youth are taking a new approach to STOP this alarming trend among their peers. On Saturday, March 27th nearly 300 teens and adults participated in the “STOP Shakedown,” a talent competition of youth performances of Hip Hop, Singing, Dance, Spoken Word, Fashion, and Visual Arts focused on HIV/AIDS prevention.

The event was hosted by the Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies (IWES) through their “STOP” campaign. The campaign has trained a group of fifteen youth advocates aged 14-25 years old who’ve used their voices through discussions and videos on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to speak bluntly with their peers about sex, teen relationships, HIV/STI testing, and the consequences of risky behaviors.

“The STOP Shakedown was a first for the Institute and we were highly impressed and inspired by the success of the event to bring together youth and adults around such an important message,” said Denese Shervington, MD, CEO and founder of IWES. “The fusion of performance art and HIV prevention messages is an innovative way to educate our community around a highly stigmatized issue, and we hope to continue work like this in the future. The success of this event highlights the effectiveness of using new media to reach youth where they are, through their peer networks.”

Developed and launched last December by the Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies (IWES), the “STOP” campaign (Social Marketing Technology Outreach Program), has trained local youth advocates to develop a multimedia HIV risk reduction campaign. The youth use social media outlets and venue-based product placement at local health clinics, schools and businesses to spread their message and disseminate trendy safer sex kits called “STOP kits” containing condoms and a list of local sites to get free HIV testing. To date, “STOP” has reached over 2,000 youth of color in the greater New Orleans area.

In addition to the show, attendees were able to visit health and information booths about other IWES youth programs as well as from other youth-serving organizations like Job1, St. John #5 Camp ACE, and Brotherhood Incorporated.

The night opened with the screening of short films on sexual health topics from both the STOP and MAP (Media Advocates for Prevention) programs that were created by and for local youth. The competition followed and consisted of 45 youth aged 14-23 competing in 6 categories: Dance; Singing; Spoken Word; Hip Hop; Visual Art; and, Fashion. In keeping with a public health “edutainment” approach, the emcee, Mandisa Moore, engaged the audience through announcements of the project's key messages by providing youth-relevant sexual health information and HIV statistics between acts. The night concluded with music from DJ Poppa and the awarding of over $1250 in awards and door prizes.

And the Winner is….

The Grand Prize winner, Jerry Weathersby, was in the Dance category, and was recognized for his incredible homage to Michael Jackson that included a show-stopping jump from the stage onto the floor in which he landed in a split. Jonathan Moody was the winner of the Visual Art competition, for his dynamic portrayal of a young man who’s body is affected by HIV called “HIV Bound.” Other prizes were awarded to the following contestants:

Spoken Word: Sana Shuja, 1st Place; Jeremiah “Reality” Douglas, 2nd Place

Singing: Yondi Gross, 1st Place; Langston Theard, 2nd Place

Hip Hop: Jermy “Lucky Lou” Tassin, 1st Place; Aston Shields, 2nd Place

Dance: Kendall Santacruze, 2nd Place

Fashion: Jameson Warren, 1st Place; Dominique Davis, 2nd Place

Visual Art: Ashley Ware, 2nd Place; Robert Atkins, Honorable Mention

Iman Shervington is STOP Program Coordinator at the Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies.

About IWES: The Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies (IWES) was founded in 1993 in response to health disparities among women of color. IWES is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) community-based organization based in New Orleans, Louisiana, dedicated to improving the physical, mental, and spiritual health and quality of life for women of color and their families.